Slewing Ring Bearing

Slewing rings from igus are used in applications that handle high cycle speeds and loads, including control desks, welding equipment, indexing tables and chainsaws. Therefore, the slewing rings need to be extremely durable and reliable.

iglide slewing ring bearings from igus have plastic sliding elements between aluminum or stainless-steel inner and outer bearing rings. These sliding elements are made of the high-performance, self-lubricating iglide J plastic, making them maintenance-free and friction and wear resistant.

Further enhancing the slewing ring, igus has now developed an intelligent slewing ring bearing (SRB) that is installed with an isense PRT.W sensor. “A sensor that detects wear is mounted in a slot under the sliding elements, which measures the axial lowering of the SRB head ring caused by abrasion, and then it passes the information on the icom communication module,” explained René Achnitz, head of the business unit for iglide bearings. “After the information has been compared with a predetermined application-relevant wear rate, the need for a replacement can be indicated with enough time in advance via the icom module.”

The communication module receives the data from the sensor and sends the information to the users’ desired end devices via WLAN. This allows users to repair or replace the necessary components before failure occurs, making for greater safety and reliability in production.